Firing device for a revolver-type automatic gun with a recoil unit



H. BORNHEIM EI'AL CE FOR A REVOLVER-TYPE AUTOMATIC March 1 1, 1958. G. FIRING DEVI GUN WITH A RECOIL UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1955 I N VEN TOR. E H-EI [I'm-111123111.

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FIRING DEVICE FOR A REVOLVER-TYPE AUTG- MATIC GUN WITH A RECOIL UNIT George H. Bornheim and Herve J. Ouellette, Springfield, Mass., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

Our invention relates to a revolver-type automatic gun and more particularly to a firing device therefor.

The conventional gun of this type includes a recoil unit with a barrel, a drum with chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations. A feeder is disposed in one side of the gun and an actuator is reciprocally slidable with respect to the recoil unit to rotate the drum to the firing station for discharge of the cartridges, and to the flanking station on the same side as the feeder, for extraction of the cases of the cartridges from the drum.

The actuator is factory adjusted for right or left hand feed and separate harnesses corresponding to the feeds include slide and feed switches of the firing circuit of the gun, with mounts for the switches disposed for attachment to the recoil unit. Connections in the firing circuit are soldered and an external conduit is secured between the mounts for inclosing the leads of the circuit. This arrangement has been found to be unsatisfactory since the soldered connections break and the leads short circuit with the conduit due to vibration of the gun.

An object of our invention, therefore, is to provide a vibration proof firing device for an automatic gun.

Another object of our invention is to provide a firing device that is readily interchangeable for right and left hand feeds.

A further object of our invention is to provide a firing device for connection to an automatic charger.

An additional object of our invention is to provide a removable feed switch adjustable for right and left hand feeds of the gun.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a firing device to prevent double feed of cartridges to the drum.

in carrying out our invention, an automatic gun of the kind described is provided with slide and feed devices for removable series connection in the firing circuit of the gun including a feed switch adjustable for right and left hand feeds.

Switch and connector boxes are removably disposed in the recoil unit adjacent the flanking stations with the switch box adjacent the extraction station. The feed switch is disposed in the switch box and the slide switch is disposed in the connector box and the actuator. Insulated conductors for removable series connection with the switches and the firing pin of the gun are secured in the recoil unit and the connector box is disposed for connection with an external supply circuit and an automatic charger.

For a more complete understanding of our invention, reference is directed to the following description thereof and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly cut away perspective reduced view of a gun incorporating our invention;

2,826,122 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 Fig. 2 is a lateral section of the gun shown in Fig. 1 with the feed switch closed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the feed switch open;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view along line 4-4 of Fig.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view along line 55 of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a view along line 66 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view along line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Accordingly, an automatic revolver-type gun 12 includes a receiver 14, a recoil unit 16 with a barrel 18, and an actuator 20. Recoil unit 16 is provided with a drum 22 having cartridge chambers 24 disposed in corresponding stations, including a six oclock station in axial alignment with barrel 18 for discharge of the cartridges, and a pair of flanking stations. The drum is supplied with cartridges by a feeder (not shown) and the cases of the cartridges are extracted from the drum in the flanking station on the corresponding side of the gun.

Actuator 20 is disposed for axially slidable reciprocation including a battery position for sequential rotation of the chambers to the firing and extraction stations responsive to gases from the discharge, and an extractor 26 is disposed on recoil unit 16 adjacent the extraction station for removal of the cases from the drum responsive to the reciprocation.

Recoil unit 16 is provided with an anvil 28 retained by a pin 29, and an insulated firing pin 30 projects therefrom for engagement with the electrically excited primer of a cartridge chambered in the firing station.

The electric firing circuit of gun 12 is provided with a cable 34 including insulation 35 inclosing a pair of conductors 36 and 38. Cable 34 is secured in an aperture at in recoil unit 16 by a pair of insulated plugs 42 retained by drift pins 44. The conductors 36 and 38c);- tend between a pair of identical laterally-spaced outlets 46 and are formed with hollow rectangular cross-section having re-entrant portions of sides 47 for gripping elec trodes. Conductor 38 is inclosed by a contact 48 for spring engagement with filing pin 36.

A connector box 50 disposed in the firing circuit includes a conducting body 52 with a projecting portion 53 to form with a pair of insulated projecting contacts 54 and 56 one part of a cable connection. Body 52 is secured to recoil unit 16 by bolts 75. The connector box 59 is provided with a pairof insulated electrodes 58 and 60 for selectively projecting through outlets 46 respectively to engage conductors 36 and 38. Connector box 5% is provided with a slide switch portion 66 including insulated contacts 62 and 64 respectively connected to electrode 60 and contact 54 for corresponding projection through a pair of holes 68 in recoil unit 16 respectively adjacent outlet 46 for battery position engagement with an insulated switch blade 70 on actuator 20. Contact 56 and electrode 58 are connected and body 52 and contact 54 are disposed for connection to the ground and above ground sides of an external electrical source.

A feed switch 72 comprises a switch box 73 containing a pair of insulated electrodes 74 for similarly projecting through outlets 46 to respectively engage conductors 36 and 38. The feed switch box 73 is secured to recoil unit 16 by bolts 75 and contains a bifurcated lever 78 pivotally mounted at the upper end thereof on a shaft 80. One end of shaft 80 is extended at right angles to form an operating arm 76 projecting out of switch box 73 in position to be contacted by the rim of a cartridge case 104 in the extraction station. A substantially ovalshaped member 86 is pivotally secured within the bifurcated portion of lever 78 by a centrally disposed pin 82. A second connection between member 86 and lever 78 is provided by a pin 88 extending through the top of member 86. Pin 82 passes through an elongated inclined slot 84 in member 86 and pin 88 passes through an elongated horizontal slot in lever 73. As a result of such construction, member 36 is pivotally mounted relative to lever 78. Member 36 is provided with an insulated portion at the lower end thereof and a conducting bar 92 is contained in such insulated portion for slidable engagement between contacts 74. As shown in Fig. 3, a failure to extract a fired cartridge case 104 from chamber 24 in drum 22 will cause operating arm 76 to be lifted against the bias of a spring 93. Shaft 80 is provided with a pair of intersecting fiat surfaces 94 arranged to selectively engage a corresponding flat surface 96 in the hole in lever 78 through which shaft 84) extends. Thus, the movement of operating arm 76 pivots lever 78 inwardly toward the drum 22 thereby causing pin 82 to bear against the inclined wall surfaces of slot 84 and impart additional pivotal movement to member 86. As a result, conducting bar 92 is withdrawn from between contacts 74- and interrupts the electrical firing circuit to prevent the discharge of the cartridge which had been rotated into the firing station and thereby prevent the subsequent feeding of a live round into the chamber 24 which contains the unextracted fired case 194.

Switch box 73 contains a V-shaped stop 1% having exterior surfaces 169 arranged to limit the pivotal movement of operating arm 75.

The foregoing construction can be readily changed to permit the gun to be fed from the opposite side merely by withdrawing operating arm 76 out of switch box '73 and then replacing it so that the other of the flat surfaces 94 contacts the similar flat surface 96 in lever 78. Then the positions of the switch box 73 and connector box 50 are simply reverse-d.

Contact 54 is provided for engagement with an automatic charger with a time delay device (not shown).

The device described herein is economical since the same components are adjustable for right and left hand feeds. Also, the device is vibration proof since the conductors and the connections are secured in the recoil unit.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim:

1. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit provided with a barrel, a drum with chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations respectively corresponding to the feeds for extraction, a reciprocal actuator biased to a battery position and disposed to rotate the chambers sequentially to the firing station and the corresponding flanking station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases thereof from the drum responsive to the discharge, and an external electric circuit, a firing device comprising a firing pin for contact with cartridges chambered in the firing station, and slide and feed switches removably secured in the recoil unit and the actuator and disposed for removable series connection with the external electric circuit, and said firing pin to form a firing circuit for energizing the discharge.

2. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit provided with a barrel, a drum with chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations respectively corresponding to the feeds for extraction, a reciprocal actuator biased to a battery position and disposed to rotate the chambers sequentially to the firing station and the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases thereof from the drum responsive to the discharge, and an external electric circuit, a firing device comprising a firing pin for contact with cartridges chambered in the firing station, a connector box and a switch box removably disposed adjacent the flanking stations with the switch box adjacent the selected extraction tation, a feed switch disposed in the switch box and a slide switch disposed in the connector box and the actuator for electrical connection with the external electric circuit, the recoil unit, and said firing pin to form a firing circuit for energizing the discharge.

3. in an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds incinding recoil unit provided with a barrel, a drum in the recoil unit having chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations respectively corresponding to the feeds for extraction, a reciprocal actuator biased to a battery position and disposed to rotate the chambers sequentially to the firing station and the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases thereof from the drum responsive to the discharge, and an external electric circuit, a firing device comprising a firing pin for contact with cartridges chambered in the firing station, a pair of insulated conductors secured in the recoil unit, and a connector box and a switch box respectively including a slide switch and a normally closed.

feed switch removably disposed respectively adjacent the flanking stations with the switch box adjacent the corresponding extraction station for removable connection with said conductors and with the external electric circuit, the recoil unit, and said firing pin to form a firing circuit for energizing the discharge.

4. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit provided with a barrel, a drum in the recoil unit having chambers vfor cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations respectively corresponding to the feeds for extraction, a reciprocal actuator biased to a battery position and disposed to rotate the chambers sequentially to the firing station and the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases thereof from the drum responsive to the discharge, and an external electric circuit, a firing device comprising a firing pin for engagement with cartridges chambered in the firing station, a pair of identical recoil unit outlets adjacent the flanking stations, a pair of insulated conductors extending between said outlets, and a connector box and a switch box respectively including a slide switch and a normally closed feed switch removably disposed in said outlets with said switch box adjacent the extraction station for removable connection with said conductors and with the external electric circuit, the recoil unit, and said firing pin to form a firing circuit for energizing the discharge.

5. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit provided with a barrel, a drum in the recoil unit having chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of flanking stations respectively corresponding to the feeds for extraction, a reciprocal actuator biased to a battery position and disposed to rotate the chambers sequentially to the firing station and the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases thereof from the drum responsive to the discharge, and an ex ternal electric circuit, a firing device comprising a firing pin for engagement with cartridges chambered in the firing station, a pair of identical recoil unit outlets adjacent the flanking stations, a pair of insulated conductors extending between said outlets, a switch box including a normally closed feed switch and a connector box disposed for simultaneous removable engagement with said outlets with said switch box adjacent the extraction station, and a slide switch disposed in said connector box and the actuator, said switches and conductors being disposed for removable series connection between the above ground side of the external electric circuit and said firing pin, and the body of said connector box being disposed for connection between the ground side of the external circuit and the recoil unit for energizing the discharge, said slide switch being closed in the battery position and said feed switch being disposed to open and close re- 'spectively responsive to displacement of the cases to the extraction station and to removal of the cases from the drum.

p 6. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit with a barrel, a drum in the recoil unit with chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of extraction stations flanking the firing station respectively corresponding to the feeds, an electric circuit for discharge of the cartridges in the firing station, and an actuator for sequentially rotating the cartridges and the cases thereof to the firing station and to the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for removal of the cases from the drum responsive to the discharge, a firing device comprising a switch box disposed for removable engagement with the recoil unit and provided with a switch for series connection in the discharge circuit, said switch including an operating arm extending toward the chambers in the drum, stop surfaces for limiting the movement of said operating arm in either direction, and means for biasing said arm to close said switch and complete said circuit, said arm being engageable with the cases to open and close said switch respectively responsive to displacement of the cases to the extraction station and to the removal of the cases from the drum.

7. In an automatic gun for selective right and left feeds including a recoil unit with a barrel, a drum in the recoil unit with chambers for cartridges disposed in corresponding stations including an axially aligned firing station and a pair of extraction stations flanking the firing station respectively corresponding to the feeds, an eleetric circuit for discharge of the cartridges in the firing station, and an actuator for sequentially rotating the cartridges and the cases thereof to the firing station and to the selected feed extraction station respectively for discharge of the cartridges and for extraction of the cases from the drum responsive to the discharge, a firing device comprising a switch box including a switch with a body for removable engagement with the recoil unit, a pair of electrodes, a pivot pin and a shaft aligned in said body, an insulated member secured to said pivot pin and provided with a conducting bar, an operating arm secured to said shaft and biased towards a normal position wherein said conducting bar is in engagement with said electrodes, a lever pivotally mounted in said switch box for supporting said insulating member, said lever and said shaft including flat surfaces for selective engagement therebetween corresponding to the feeds for normal position engagement of said bar with said electrodes to complete the electric circuit, and said operating arm being engageable with the cases to open the electric circuit responsive to displacement of the cases to the extraction stations and to close the firing circuit responsive to the extraction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,466,929 Catlin et al. Apr. 12, 1949 2,642,779 Trevaskis June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 863,614 Germany Ian. 19, 1953 731,442 Great Britain June 8, 1955 

